Before Rykar could get to the door, another round of thumping rang out. The man shook his head, traversed the final few steps to his door, and pulled it open to see who had interrupted his reading.
"Lord Rykar Vaikos!" Malcade announced with a bit of levity from open doorway. Rykar stared at him for a moment with an arched brow.
"What do you want, Malcade?" the faintly annoyed man asked.
"Don't be so sullen, Rykar. I bring you a surprise!" Malcade said as he stepped inside.
"Oh? What did you bring me?" Rykar asked, curious. Malcade simply gestured to the doorway. At the gesture, Kaidia stepped into the illuminated entryway, her flat black armor seeming to swallow the light it should have reflected. She was followed inside by her sister. Rykar smiled broadly.
"Surprise," Kai said with a smirk.
"Indeed," Rykar replied. The two grasped one another's forearm.
"Good to see you again, Rykar. You've done well for yourself," Kaidia said as she turned his arm loose and looked around.
"I have done alright since the war," the black-clad man admitted.
"I would say. Good to see," the mercenary woman said with a smile. Rykar glanced over to Nadia as Kai spoke.
"Indeed it is. Especially from my view. Now, I assume this is your sister," he said with a gesture to Nadia.
"Yes, this is Nadia," Kai said, turning to look at her younger sibling.
"The resemblance is obvious. She is as beautiful as you," Rykar said with a smirk.
"Thank you," Nadia said with a faint blush in her cheeks.
"Careful, Rykar. I think she's taken by my kyrian servant," Kai said with a chuckle.
"Shut it, Kai!" Nadia growled.
"Has a thing for the cat boys?" Rykar asked mildly.
"Cat girls," Kaidia answered with a smirk.
"Ah. Likes the girls. She is your sister, indeed," the man said with a grin. Meanwhile, Nadia was blushing brightly and Malcade was chuckling at her expense.
"Mhm. Anyway, as you can imagine, we're not here for just a visit alone," Kai said, matter of factly.
"I assumed not. But my manners escape me. Come, I was about to have dinner. We can catch up, then talk business afterward."
"Sounds good to me," Nadia chirped from behind her sister.
"Malcade. Well, I suppose you can eat with us too," Rykar said with a taunting smirk.
"Smartass," the redheaded man returned with a similar smirk on his lips.
* * *
"Then the whole damn building exploded!" Rykar exclaimed to a chorus of laughter. Malcade, Kaidia, Rykar, and Nadia sat around one end of a long dining table, empty plates, wine glasses, and now ale mugs were scattered across the table top. The four had eaten well and were now sharing stories. Most of them were coming from Rykar and Kaidia with a few from Malcade. Nadia had little to tell, but she didn't mind. Listening was proving to be great fun.
"The whole building? You two blew up half the port! Ships and all!" Malcade retorted.
"Did we now?" Kai asked with a grin.
"Yes! I found you both floating in the water, laughing like maniacs!" Malcade answered, not without his own grin.
"So, you're telling me my sister and Rykar are insane?" Nadia questioned Malcade.
"Yes," the red-haired man answered.
"Well, I knew about Kai already. I assumed all of her friends were crazier than a drunken dwarf on elven cane powder," the younger sister said with a smirk.
"Brat!" Kai accused with a false indignity and a kick to Nadia's chair. Nadia stuck her tongue out at her elder sister in response.
"You know, I once saw a drunken dwarf on cane powder," Rykar said thoughtfully.
"The one that sang the awful kyrian ballad?" Kaidia inquired with an arched brow.
"Yeah, that one!" the brown haired man said with a smirk.
"The ballad is much better when sung by a kyrian," Kai said matter of factly.
"Did Sae-Mirra sing it for you?" Nadia asked.
"Yes, along with many other kyrian songs. A dwarf just can't do all of those mewls and growls like an actual kyrian," the elder sibling responded.
"Who is Sae-Mirra?" Malcade inquired.
"My house servant," Kai answered with nonchalance. Rykar relaxed back into his chair.
"Your kyrian house cat?" he asked mildly.
"Yes and that term is mildly redundant," Kaidia said with a smile.
"What? Kyrian house cat?" Rykar questioned, smirking, already knowing the answer.
"Yes," Kai replied.
"I hear they're extremely loyal. Also, their women-folk are beautiful," Malcade cut in with a hint of slightly inebriated wonder.
"You hear correctly on both counts," Kai said with a faint smile.
"Speaking of loyal, beautiful servants... Farren!" Rykar raised his voice a bit to be heard in the kitchen that was adjacent to the dining room.
A pretty blonde girl of average height slipped out of the kitchen, clad in plain, but well made clothing. A simple tunic that tied across the chest with criss-crossing leather strips, a pair of cloth pants made of soft material and soft leather boots. She was a lovely young woman, as one would expect the servant of a noble household to be. Her hair was a dark blonde, her eyes a crystalline blue.
"Yes, Lord Rykar?" Farren asked with a faint tilt of her head.
"Be a dear and clean the table, then the rest of the evening is yours," the man said with a warm smile.
"Are you sure, my Lord?" the blonde questioned.
"Of course. Unlike most nobles, we're not fat and lazy. Hell, that one isn't even a noble," Rykar said with a smirk and a jerk of his thumb toward Malcade.
"Oh, eat elf dung, Lord Rykar," the flame-haired man said with good natured sarcasm before taking another swig from his mug. Farren giggled softly, long since used to the friendly barbs the two men often exchanged.
"Well, if you're certain, my Lord," Farren said hesitantly while making herself busy picking up dishes.
"I am certain that we can fetch our own ale, bright eyes," Rykar affirmed with nod.
"Alright then. What do you pay me for?" Farren asked with a smirk.
"I cannot very well cook and serve guests. It's unseemly for someone of my rank and station, Miss Farren. Plus, you look a lot better in those short barmaid skirts that you like to wear than I ever could," Rykar said with a careless wave of his hand. Malcade snorted into his ale and started coughing. Nadia and Kai burst into a fit of laughter.
"I would pay to see that," Farren said with a soft laugh of her own.
"I find that mildly disturbing," the nobleman replied with a flicker of a smile.
"Everything I've heard… in the past minute... has been disturbing," Malcade managed raggedly whilst attempting to catch his breath. Nadia was still snickering and Kaidia wore an amused smile.
"I find that hard to believe, Commander Malcade. You've know Lord Rykar for years. You should be used to his unorthodox sense of humor by now," Farren said with a scholarly tone.
"One never gets used to that," the red-haired man said with a gesture to Rykar.
"Now I'm flattered. After all these years, I still surprise you," the other man spoke with mild amusement, casting his friend a sideways glance.
"And on that note, I will leave you all to yourselves. My Lord, Ladies, Commander," the blonde woman said with a faint nod to each of the warriors in turn before she disappeared into the kitchen with all the dishes aside from the ale mugs. Rykar turned his head toward Kaidia.
"So... what is this business you've come to me about, my General?" the man inquired with a reference to Kaidia's old rank, shifting the conversation from fun to serious in the span of a moment.
"It pertains to Adathir," the woman said gravely.
"The dead warlord?" Rykar asked.
"Yes," Kai responded and then proceeded to relate the events of the past few days, starting with the attack inside her home, her thoughts on who could help her with the situation, and finally ending with her and her sibling's arri
val in Mehroth. Rykar listened intently the whole while, holding his questions until Kaidia was done telling her story. He picked up the silver medallion Kai had tossed upon the table during the course of her narrative. When the woman was done speaking he held up the medallion.
"I have seen a few of these before," the nobleman said as he slid his fingers over the markings.
"Where? When?" Kai asked, leaning forward.
"A couple of months back at the gates of the city. A group of grey-robed clerics and priests tried to gain entry to the city solely to preach the word of their new god. None in this city are too keen on religion, mind you. Not with all the trouble and death it causes. They were turned away and they promised that we would regret it," Rykar supplied with a faintly amused smirk.
"Sounds like a standard threat from the religious type."
"Oh yes. Fire, brimstone, and torture for eternity. They all have the same hell. Yet they all claim each other false. It's amusing to stand back and watch, but here is what I don't get: You obviously didn't know about these people and their cult. Yet many people know about you despite how hard you have tried to disappear. Your power and wrath are no secret in these lands. Why they would attack you and put a target on themselves is beyond me."
"That is troubling."
Everyone sat in the quiet for a moment before Malcade sat upright and looked to Kaidia.
"You killed Adathir, their god. Perhaps they just want revenge," the man theorized.
"Awful stupid to try and kill someone who has the power to slay their god," Nadia answered, her brow arched skeptically.
"No one ever accused these people of being intelligent," Rykar countered.
"Someone among their ranks must be for them to have formed a cohesive cult like they seem to have done," Kaidia said with a glance to her old friend.
"Fair enough," the lord replied with a faint nod.
"If they were bold enough to attack you, perhaps they have some sort of secret weapon," Malcade speculated with his eyes fixed on Kaidia.
"If you are correct, that is even more troubling," she replied.
“It seems your past has come back to haunt you, my friend,” Rykar said, eyes shifting to Kaidia.
“So it seems,” Kaidia replied.
“And what do you plan to do about it?” Rykar asked.
“I plan to throw my past back into its grave, choking on its own blood,” Kaidia answered, her tone anything but humorous.
All four of them sat a few moments longer, pondering the situation before Nadia opened her mouth and yawned quite spectacularly.
"My thoughts exactly," Rykar said with a chuckle. Nadia's cheeks colored lightly.
"It is getting rather late," Malcade said before draining the rest of his ale.
"Yes it is. Head home before that wife of yours decides to welcome you home with a iron pot to the side of the head. I'd hate to lose such a good man to kitchenware," Rykar laughed.
"You think it's funny," Malcade accused lightheartedly as he rose to his feet. "You don't realize that she would do just that."
"That is what you get for marrying a redhead, my friend," Rykar spoke as he stood. Nadia and Kaidia drank the last of their ale and stood up as well.
"So I'm told time and again," Malcade muttered.
The group headed for the front door, Malcade in the lead. The red-haired man paused at the door, then turned to the others.
"It was a pleasure meeting you, Kaidia. You too, Nadia," Malcade said with a slight nod of his head to both women. Kai gave a slight nod of her own while Nadia just smiled.
"Wait, Malcade. I think I have a good excuse for you getting home so late," Rykar said and disappeared into his home before Malcade could respond. He barely had time to give the two women a questioning look before Rykar had returned with a sheet of heavy paper in hand. He set the brown-shaded parchment down on the small table that Farren had insisted all noble houses had in their entryway. Rykar had never used it for anything until now, but he still didn't see why Farren thought it so important. He mentally shrugged, then looked to his three guests.
"Nadia, do you know how to capture what you see as a still image?" he asked.
"You mean the spell to make pictures? Yes," Nadia replied.
"Good. Take a picture of Malcade and your sister," Rykar instructed and gestured.
"How is that going to give me an excuse?" Malcade inquired.
"You met a legend. Naturally you sat around to talk to her. The picture is proof that you actually met her, you dolt," Rykar explained.
"Did you just call me a dolt?" the commander asked. Rykar ignored him and shoved Kaidia over next to Malcade, then stepped back.
"Alright, you two. Smile," Rykar said as he gestured to Nadia to work her magic.
"Hold still," the younger sister said before raising her hands. She extended her thumbs and index fingers. She held her hands so the tips of her thumbs touched and she framed Malcade and Kaidia within the box her fingers made. A shimmer ran between her index fingers and she pulled her hands away, keeping them together. An ethereal image of Kaidia and Malcade hung between Nadia's fingers, suspended there by magic. Nadia turned, held the ghostly image above the sheet of paper Rykar had provided, and then extended all of her fingers before lowering her hands down to the table, dropping the image onto the paper. There, it solidified and became almost as lifelike as Malcade and Kaidia themselves. Nadia smiled, pleased with herself.
"Excellent," Rykar breathed before picking up the paper and handing it to Malcade. The warrior took it and looked it over.
"It is odd seeing a woman as tall as myself from this perspective," he commented.
"Well done, Nadia," Kai said with a smile to her sister.
"Thank you," the younger woman replied with a faint blush in her cheeks. Despite the fact that Nadia was now a grown woman who possessed the ability and skill to be a dangerous warrior, Kaidia was still her elder sister and praise from her sister made Nadia quite happy.
"I had better head out," Malcade said as he rolled up the picture with care.
"Malcade?" Rykar asked to gain the man's attention.
"Yeah?" Malcade queried.
"Get the hell out," Rykar said with a jovial smirk. The sisters snickered.
"Lick a dwarf's ass," the red-haired man responded with a grin as he opened the door. He gave a wave of his hand, and slipped out, shutting the door firmly behind him. Kaidia turned to Rykar and smiled faintly.
"You know, that might not have been so wise."
"What do you mean?"
"You just sent the man home with a picture that shows him with another woman."
"Ah. You may have a point."
Kaidia just laughed softly, and then glanced to her sibling before looking back to Rykar.
"I suppose we'll get going too. Find an inn," she said with a glance to her sister.
"Nonsense," Rykar replied. "I have guest rooms and a hot spring bath below the house."
"I don't really want to impose," Kaidia protested, although knowing it was just a formality.
"I won't hear of it," the man said firmly, but with a smile.
"Oh alright, I suppose we can be bothered to stay here," Kai acquiesced with a faint smile of her own.
"Damn straight you can," Rykar answered.
"Watch it. I'll kick you out of your own house," Kai warned playfully.
"That would just be rude. Come on, I'll show you to your rooms," the nobleman said with a gesture of his hand. He led both women out of the entryway and into the main room of the house. This room was two stories tall, boasted a fireplace at its center, several plush chairs, and two curved staircases to the second floor that overlooked the first. Rykar led the way up the left-hand staircase. On the left-hand side were three doors. Rykar pointed to the nearest.
"This is Farren's room. The other two are empty. You two can debate or wrestle over who gets which one, but they're pretty much identical," the man said with a grin, gesturing to the two doors that were to the left of
Farren's door. Kaidia nodded, and then gestured to a door that stood between the landings of the two staircases.
"Where does that lead?"
"The second story of the library. Much like the main room here, the library is two stories tall and just has a wrap around balcony on the second story."
"And that door?" Kaidia asked as she gestured across from where the three guest rooms were to a door that stood all by itself.
"That is my room. Where you're more than welcome if you have nightmares and need to snuggle," Rykar joked. He caught a punch in the shoulder from Kai for his efforts. Nadia snickered softly.
"Where is this hot spring you spoke of?" Kai asked.
"Downstairs, in the far corner of the main room once you walk past the fireplace. To the left-hand side of the library door. You will see a staircase that leads down to a door. Just through the doorway and you'll find yourself there," Rykar replied.
"Thanks."
"Not a problem. Towels and other necessities are down there."
"Good. I could use a warm soak after three days on the road."
"Undoubtedly. You two make yourselves at home. I am going to the library for awhile, and then I'm retiring for the night. Farren will wake you for breakfast. I will see you two in the morning," Rykar said, giving an over-elaborate bow before standing, smirking, and walking off to the second story library door, opening it, and disappearing within.
* * *
"We need him."
"What?"
"Rykar. We need him."
"For what?"
"Our little journey, of course."
"Why?"
"If these Adathir worshiping nut jobs do have some sort of secret weapon or just large numbers of fighters, it couldn't hurt to have another experienced warrior on our side."
"You make a good point."
"I know."
“What is his story?” Nadia asked, giving her sister a questioning look.
“A long one.”
“We have time.”
“I suppose we do. Very well then. To keep it short and sweet, he was born in a small village, the second son of a blacksmith. He was fifteen years of age when a mage, for reasons that remain unknown, attacked the town. Rykar was the only survivor. He tempted his small bit of good fortune for the sake of vengeance and snuck into the mage's home, killed him, barely survived the fight, and collapsed on a nearby road. Malcade and his family found Rykar, half dead, and took him in. A couple of years later, Rykar and Malcade set out to make their fortune as mercenary commanders, formed the Scorpion(this name is problematic because of the new HIT show “Scorpion.” Company, and here we are,” Kaidia expounded.
Realms of Valen - Dragon in the Dark (War of the Gods Book 1) Page 4